Holographic Babysitter
by Diane Klepper
Summary: The Paris's find a interesting solution to their babysitting problems.


Emergency Holographic Babysitter 

By Diane Klepper (Author's Note: The Paris's find an interesting situation to their childcare problems.)

Tom Paris yawned as he stared at the padd in his hand. He could barely keep his eyes open and he still had three more hours of studying to do. He put the padd on the coffee table and went to the replicator to get another cup of coffee. It was a good thing he no longer had to use replicator rations because he must of used a week worth alone on coffee in the last two days.

He walked back to the couch with his cup of coffee in his hand. He took a long sip and then placed the cup down on the coffee table. He yawned again and then picked up the padd and read for about twenty minutes until he heard a cry from the other room. Tom threw the padd on the coffee table and said, "Daddy's coming sweetie."

Tom walked to Miral's room and turned on the light. Miral was standing in her crib crying. She was wearing a one- piece pink pajamas outfit that had teddy bears on it. She was holding onto the crib bars. Tom walked over to her. Miral held her arms out to her father. Tom picked up his fourteen- month old daughter and started to comfort her by patting her softly on the back. "Miral…it's okay…what's wrong?"

Miral pointed to the floor and Tom saw her pink blanket. Tom smiled at her. "You dropped your blankey…it's okay sweetie. Daddy will get it for you." Still holding Miral in his arms he bent down and picked up the blanket. He put the blanket in Miral's arms. "Sweetie…I know you love the blankey your godmother Kathryn made you but Daddy has to do some studying so I need you to go back to sleep."

Tom placed Miral back in the crib and she started crying. Tom frowned and said, "I see your going to be stubborn tonight."

Miral continued to cry. Tom took his daughter out of the crib. "Okay my warrior princess…you win. You can stay up a little longer…but you have to remain quiet while Daddy studies."

Tom carried Miral into the living room and put her in her play- pen that was filled with stuffed animals and toy starships. Every time Tom brought home a new toy starship B'Elanna complained that Tom bought the toys more for himself then for Miral. Tom would then just smirk at his wife and tell her that even though he enjoyed playing with Miral's toy starships he enjoyed their adult games much better. "Now Miral you play quietly in your play pen and you let Daddy study okay sweetie."

Tom walked back to the couch and continued to study the pads. For the next thirty minutes Tom read his medical pads until he heard Miral say, "Da…Da…book."

Tom looked up from his padd and say Miral holding a story padd. Frowning Tom said, "Miral…. Daddy has to study…I'll will read you a story tomorrow."

Miral started to cry and said, "Book now."

Knowing how stubborn his daughter was and being too tired to deal with another temper tantrum Tom stood up from the couch. "Okay Miral…I'll read you one story." He walked over to the playpen picked up his daughter who was still holding her story padd and sat down on the couch. He took the book out of Miral's hand and smiled as he read the title. "Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea" again?"

Miral smiled, "Read Da…Da."

"Okay Sweetie…I just hope your love of the sea doesn't land you in the brig for thirty days like mine did."

Fifteen minute later as Tom was two- thirds the way through the book he noticed that Miral was asleep in his arms. He put the book down on the coffee table and stood up slowly not wanting to wake up Miral. He quietly walked into Miral's room and placed her in the crib. Tom covered her with her blanket and kissed her on the forehead. He quietly left his daughter's bedroom and closed the door behind her.

He yawned again and walked over to the coffee table and picked up his coffee cup. He took a sip and then frowned. The coffee was cold so he took the cup back to the replicator and pressed the button and the cup disappeared. He glanced at the old fashioned grandfather clock that they kept in the living room and saw that it was almost midnight. Damn it, he thought, I was planning on doing a lot of studying tonight for my midterms next week but with Miral waking up every hour I barely spent any time studying.

Tom was about to order another cup of coffee and try to get some studying in when he heard the doorbell ring. Tom quickly walked over the door not wanting the ringing to wake up his daughter. He pressed the button to open the door. Tom was surprised to find Voyager's Holographic Doctor standing in his doorway. Whispering Tom said, "Doc what are doing here at this time of night?"

The Doctor handed Tom a padd. "Mr. Paris you left this padd in my classroom today. I thought you would need it for your midterms next week."

Tom gave a slight smirk. "Thanks Doc…I thought I lost this padd."

The E.M.H frowned and said loudly, "Mr. Paris I thought you were taking your medical studies seriously…leaving your medical pads laying around makes me wonder if you really are?"

"Damn it Doc…I just got Miral back to sleep…will you keep your voice down"  
"What is my goddaughter doing up this time of night…Miral needs her sleep." He looked at Tom more closely the doctor said, "Mr. Paris…how much sleep have you been getting lately."

"I'm okay."

The Doctor took out his medical tricorder and waved it over Tom's body. "According to my tricorder you aren't…When was the last time you had a full nights sleep"  
Tom frowned. "Doc…I'm fine…On Voyager we often had to get by on only a few hours of sleep."

"That is true…but that was only during emergencies…Is B'Elanna as tired as you"  
Tom smiled. "B'Elanna is fine…she is working nights. She comes home about one a.m. I usually get up when Miral wakes up in the middle of the night…Trust me Doc you don't want to face a sleep deprived Klingon. I usually take Miral to my parents' house on my way to Star Fleet Academy in the morning. That way B'Elanna is able to sleep late in the morning. B'Elanna then picks up Miral at noon and they meet me for lunch at the Academy. Then B'Elanna takes Miral home and I take my afternoon medical classes. I come home about 5 o'clock and then B'Elanna goes to work. I try to get my studying in after I put Miral to bed but lately Miral getting up every hour and, I haven't been able to spend a lot of time studying."

"Mr. Paris you will never pass your midterms if you are working on such little sleep."

"Doc I'm doing the best I can."

The Doctor gave a slight smile. "Maybe I can help?"

"How?"

Smiling the Doctor said, "I could put a comm. badge in Miral's crib so I could monitor her. Then I could transport over and take care of her at night so you can study and get a good nights sleep."

"You want to Miral's babysitter?"

Frowning the Doctor said, "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of a child. I'm the one that gave you and B'Elanna parenting lessons on Voyager"  
"I know that that Doc…but I'm not sure if B'Elanna is going to like the idea of you just transporting here every time the baby cries."

"I can be discreet."

Sarcastically Tom said, "Since when?"

Frowning the Doctor said, "I'm just trying to help…I really want you to do well on your midterms"  
Tom smiled, "I know that Doc…I guess I'm just more tired then I'm letting on…I do appreciate that you are trying to help…maybe we could try it for a couple of nights. …Just promise one thing?"

"What would that be?"

"Just do not come into my and B'Elanna's bedroom at night without knocking."

Smiling the Doctor said, "Of course Mr. Paris…I do not want to face your wife's wrath."

"Me either…and Doc thanks…Miral now has a holographic godfather and a holographic babysitter…I wonder what's next?"

"Hopefully a father who passes his medical midterms…Now that I am here I expect you to hit the study padds."

"I'm going…I swear Doc when you are bugging me to study you sound just like my Dad."

Smiling the Doctor said, "I'll take that as a compliment."

A crying sound came out of Miral's room. The Doctor smiled, "It looks like my shift has started…I'll get Miral back to sleep and then I'll head back to Starfleet Medical…if she wakes up again I'll transport over…I'll see you in class tomorrow Mr. Paris."

Tom smiled, "Sure Doc…I'll see you tomorrow."

The Doctor entered Miral bedroom and walked over to the crib. Miral was standing up in her crib crying. He picked her up and walked over to the rocker and sat down still holding the crying baby. He started rocking and Miral quieted down. The Doctor smiled, "Miral I see you are a night owl. I'm going to be keeping you company at night so you father can study for his medical tests. Don't tell anyone this but I think your father will make a really good doctor but we can't tell him that because his ego is big enough."

Miral smiled at him.

Smirking the Doctor said, "See I knew you would agree with me. And another little secret is that I don't mind spending the night with you. On Voyager I was often called on in the middle of the night to treat a patient on Voyager. On Earth nobody ever comes to see me at night. Sometimes it gets a little lonely…so Miral how about a lullaby."


End file.
